Bugs Found on Herb Plants

Few insects attack herbs.

Bugs don't pose a large problem to herb plants, but certain bugs can infest your herb garden and cause extensive damage. In most cases, your herb plants can be saved if you take immediate action. This can be tricky, however, because you shouldn't use chemical sprays on your herbs since you eat them. Instead, natural control methods will help get rid of bugs but will leave your herbs edible.

Aphids

Aphids attack a wide variety of flowers and edible plants and large populations of them can become quite damaging. Aphids aren't picky and will feed on most types of herbs, including anise, caraway, dill and fennel. These tiny bugs pierce the soft tissues of your herb plants and suck out plant fluids, which causes curling, yellowing and distortion of the leaves. The honeydew that aphids excrete can cause black mold to grow on your herbs. Plant garlic or onions, which naturally repel aphids, or introduce ladybugs into your herb garden. Ladybugs eat aphids and help control their populations. Rinse your herbs with a garden hose, which will dislodge aphids from your plants and discourage their return.

Four-Lined Plant Bugs

Four-lined plant bugs are another type of insect that isn't picky when it comes to eating herb plants, though they particularly enjoy those in the mint family. Adult bugs are yellowish-green and have four black stripes, and younger bugs are bright red. These pests chew rows of tiny holes in the leaves of your herb plants. In most cases, your herbs will outgrow any damage caused by four-lined plant bugs, but eradicate them from your garden by spraying your herbs with a garden hose to knock them from the leaves.

Mealybugs

Mealybugs are easily noticeable by their slow-moving and waxy appearance. These pests suck plant fluids from your herbs, which causes the leaves to turn yellow. Mealybugs might also cause your herb plant to grow slowly and produce fewer leaves. The honeydew that mealybugs excrete can cause black mold to grow on your herbs as well. Predatory insects, such as larval mealybug destroyers, help control a mealybug infestation. A spray of water from the garden hose will rinse honeydew and might help dislodge mealybugs.

Spider Mites

Another pest that isn't picky when it comes to food, spider mites attack low-growing herbs. Spider mites are extremely tiny pests that cause damage by sucking fluids from plants. Large populations of spider mites can cause dots to appear on the leaves and turn the leaves a bronze color. Spider mite damage might also cause the leaves to drop off the plant. A spray of water from the garden hose can knock a significant number of spider mites from your herbs. Predatory insects can also help control spider mites.

About the Author

Sara Ipatenco has taught writing, health and nutrition. She started writing in 2007 and has been published in Teaching Tolerance magazine. Ipatenco holds a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in education, both from the University of Denver.